00:00Wakefield Council is planning to raise significant income by selling land and property as part of efforts to manage ongoing
00:07financial pressures and reduce the size of its estate.
00:10A report discussed by councillors says around £20 million could be generated in the next financial year,
00:17with additional income of about £5.4 million expected during the current period from assets already sold or close to
00:26completion.
00:27Sites involved include former civic buildings, development land and community facilities across the district, with some earmarked for housing or
00:37specialist education use.
00:39These include a former mansion house, a civic centre site and several smaller public buildings and parcels of land.
00:46Senior officers say the authority's estate is currently too large to maintain within existing budgets,
00:52and that reducing it will help cut costs while focusing on buildings that are considered fit for future needs.
01:01At the same time, key locations including Wakefield 1 and County Hall are due to be reviewed,
01:07with questions about how they are used, maintained and funded in the long term.
01:11The council says challenges remain, including recruitment difficulties, delays to surveys and gaps in building condition data,
01:19which have affected decision making.
01:22A longer term strategy also highlights that opportunities for large sales are expected to reduce over time as assets are
01:29disposed of.
Comments